I have never taken honey off this late in the year. Read some past posts on this subject.Some say the have smells like burnt popcorn or rotten old jym socks. What i want to know is. should the honey have what i will call a very strong sweet sour smell to it.this stuff is very dark, like a beer bottle.It has a sweet tast just very different from what i am use to.I am not sure if this is good honey or something may be wrong with it.The supers were on for a very long time.this smell just has me wondering.

09-11-2003, 01:28 PM

hoosierhiver

some of my honey is just as you described,i'm thinking it is in large part due to goldenrod.strong taste,but in general people like it alot.

09-11-2003, 01:36 PM

Mitch

Thanks hoosierhiver the tast is not wat is so bad it is the smell of it.Very strong it is hard for me to put into words bad and good at the same time. I did not notice it so much uncapping but the extractor and the bucket smellde very strong.

09-11-2003, 05:36 PM

BjornBee

Mitch, One thing to consider also is that bees will collect from ANY sugar source available. If you live next to a mint candy factory and they throw out the cans/boxes with residue on them you could have a minty taste. If you live close to a bottling site for something like soda/pop, the taste could be affected. You get the picture as to the possibilities......
My guess is thats its goldenrod, but with bees you can be surprised.

09-11-2003, 06:02 PM

Iowabeeman

the goldenrod we get makes very yellow honey and the caps are yellow also. You can smell it in the hive when the bees are working it.

09-11-2003, 07:18 PM

WineMan

On even a minor flow of it, you typically can smell it 25-50 yards from the colonies, especially in the evening and early morning.

09-12-2003, 06:00 AM

ikeepbees

I haven't had any luck harvesting a fall crop of honey, but I have purchased honey labeled as "wildflower" that was very dark and had, well, an awful smell. It did not smell like honey at all and I was afraid to taste it - but I did and it was delicious. Maybe similar to your situation.

------------------
Rob Koss

09-12-2003, 10:23 AM

Mitch

Yes ikeepbees the stuff i have smells bad but the tasts is good.The thing i want to know is are you unhappy with buying that kind of honey?I am not sure i want to sell this stuff.People might smell if and be a bit po.But then if someone likes it.Most of the farmers market people allway cment on how lite and cleac my honey is.This is why i wonder just a bit how the dark stuff would go over.I think this may be that most beekeepers keep plenty of winter stors here.they leave all the fall honey for the bee so not may people here see the fall honey.I learnd my lesson on what i need for winter i now keep 2 deepsand one med.full of honey.or no bees come spring

09-12-2003, 10:32 AM

BjornBee

You'll find out that older folks, especially from eastern Europe prefer the darker honey. I always find that having several shades, helps in marketing. I welcome finding different honey variations.

09-12-2003, 07:40 PM

ikeepbees

Mitch, I don't mind buying dark, flavorful honey at all! But, I'm a beekeeper. I would think that there are customers out there looking for this kind of honey, though.

------------------
Rob Koss

09-15-2003, 07:07 AM

Mitch

Thanks all i just never had very dark honey befor.Any way i went to the farmers market with 3 different colors of honey,it worked out great.Every one wanted to know if i had different color bottles or if it was the honey.I had to explain alot but had a great time telling people what made the color differance.I do think it made more people stop by my table.And yes some did want the darker honey.It was a good day sold bout 30lbs of honey.Not bad for a small town

09-15-2003, 08:29 AM

Hook

Goldenrod makes great honey. If you are in an area that has or has had beekeepers, somebody will want it. Around here, it is as popular as clover honey. Plus, many people have allergies, and goldenrod honey is supposed to help them. I don't have any allergies, but I know of quite a few people that swear but a tablespoon of local honey per day, to prevent hay fever ect.

I know some people that buy dark or light honey depending on the recipe they're making.

Personally I love dark honey and use it anywhere I can.

09-16-2003, 04:10 AM

wjw777

Hey Mitch,
See you decided on later supers , thats good. The smell of goldenrod in the hives is perfume to me. I don't think theres a better honey for favor. the honey brokers who buy honey from commerical beekeepers just mix anything with anything to get the color they think will sell the best for them. we small time keepers know what flowers and what honey is coming in and act accordily. In that sense I think we offer a better product than what is sold on the open market. I have 3 medium supers on that must be taken off in the next week. and plan to treat for mites but for sure looking forward to the goldenrod honey. Mitch how was your season how much golenrod did you get .
yours in the hobby Walt

09-16-2003, 04:36 AM

ChellesBees

Dark honey is getting some new press too. Somewhere my hubby read an article that said the darker honeys are higher in antioxidents.

09-16-2003, 07:15 AM

Mitch

Hi Walt
I got about 45 lbs of golden rod honey ,about 160 lbs total for the year.I have maybe one super that i might be able to take off yet&gt;It all depends on how things look this week.I have to finsh up this week too.i may have time to work the bee yard tonight.Gont know for sure but guessing i have about 20 lbs of honey left that is it.i had some roobing problems last month got that to stop but they are back at it again.Hope i got the robbing stopped in time is a bit late to weaken hives like that.